Elizabeth Forward bus dispute stretches on
Two of the district’s routes go unserved
For the second day in a row, more than 200 students in the Elizabeth Forward School District were without buses Tuesday due to what the transportation company asserts is a shortage of bus drivers.
The issue is part of a larger contract dispute between the district and the bus company, Pennsylvania Coach Lines, a dispute that has landed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
Two bus routes — impacting bus routes 106 and 114 — were not served, affecting families whose children attend at least one of the district’s six schools.
By Tuesday afternoon, the school district sent a message to parents warning them that bus 117 had been added to the list of routes that would not transport kids Tuesday afternoon. This route served students Tuesday morning, though.
But the district is hoping there won’t be a repeat on Wednesday. Late in the afternoon, district Superintendent Todd Keruskin sent a message to parents saying the court had been informed of the problem and that the court had ordered the company to resume all normal bus runs.
Pennsylvania Coach Lines president and owner David Sunstein could not be reached Tuesday night for comment on whether the routes would be filled.
Deniece Lenart, 36, of Elizabeth Township, said Tuesday her two children are in fifth and first grades at Central Elementary and usually ride bus route 106. They are “luckily” provided transportation through beforeschool day care.
“But my children do not have a bus for the ride home,” Ms. Lenart said. “I have been leaning on family members and neighbors to help me.”
She said the community has been kind during this “stressful time.”
“Neighbors and community members are offering to ride children to and from school,” she said. “But this cannot go on all school year. It may be a temporary fix, but this situation needs to be fixed sooner than later.”
Jackie Crea, 29, also of Elizabeth, echoed similar concerns and said she has been dealing with buses not showing up or showing up late even before this week. Her children were not affected by current route problems, however.
The McKeesport-based Pennsylvania Coach Lines informed district officials Monday that it would be unable to provide bus service for three of its 28
temporary routes on Monday, citing a shortage of qualified drivers, Mr. Sunstein said. Roughly 350 students are assigned to those routes, he said.
One of those routes was back in service Tuesday morning, although bus 117 did not serve students in the afternoon.
The previous contract between the district and bus company expired June 30, but the transportation provider was operating under a temporary court-ordered deal to continue service.
In the meantime, some of the schools were allowing parents to drop off their children early on their way to work.
Middle school Principal Trisha Martell told parents whose students ride buses 106 and 114 that school personnel would be on hand at the building at 7:15 a.m. if parents wanted to drop off their children. She also noted that if parents could not pick up their children, they were to call the school.
Ms. Martell would not comment on the situation when asked Tuesday morning and referred all questions to the district’s administration.
Some of the schools made the early morning drop-off arrangements when it became clear that some parents were keeping their children home, according to several families.
Elizabeth Forward school board President Thomas Sharkey Jr. said Monday that he had heard from numerous parents who expressed displeasure with the short-notice bus cancellation. “People are not happy. Parents are not happy. But they’re not happy with PA Coach Lines,” said Mr. Sharkey, who referred student-related questions to Mr. Keruskin.